November 24, 2018

Media outlets, public policy planners, career experts, and even our own families position and package us aging baby boomers as a "problem" society has to solve and then manage.

Yet, it's likely that younger generations will come to envy us.

What we have going for us is hammered in the just-released documentary video "The Blessings of Aging" by The New Yorker. Directed by Jenny Schweitzer, it presents interviews with residents of a retirement home. Here you can view it.

At the top of the list of our blessings is, finally, the gift of self-acceptance.

One female resident is New York-blunt. She tells those who don't embrace who she is as she is "There's the door." Her voice is raised. Her facial expression is all-business.

This is related to another blessing.

That is the loss of inhibitions. Emotionally and socially the residents now go into the world daily without self-c0nsciousness. Unlike the locked-in-himself aging narrator of the T.S. Eliot poem "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock," they don't fret if they should or should not eat a peach in public.

The third gift, one male resident points out, is that we "get away with stuff." Somehow society gives us a few free passes. Actually in this harsh era of the second decade of the 21st century, there seems to be a gentleness toward us.

During a major snow last year, one Millennial in my rental complex removed much of the snow from my car. And after an ice storm, another steered me off the ice. Neither wanted payment. I had to force it on them.

Of course, another key gain from aging is wisdom. The residents certainly sound savvy about the world in general and their little worlds. That comes out in their ironic points of view. How they see life is beyond funny. It's joy and sorrow filtered through a cool kind of insight.

A producer could create a comedy show in which several of the residents are characters. For example, the females grouse, lovingly, about the male residents who wear their pants too high. A male jokes about how he has to go downtown to find a worthy chess opponent to take on.

Those young people who flock to Buddhist retreats to find inner peace might just spend a few hours at this type of retirement home. They will meet up with people who have learned to love themselves, no matter what.

Isn't it self-hate, generated by toxic perfectionism, which is killing the best and brightest professionals and college students?

The most recent example of that is 42-year-old brandname bankruptcy lawyer Gabe MacConaill. In the parking lot of his law firm, he shot himself to death.

The American Bar Association and other professional trade groups should create pilot programs to study the cognitive processes in retirement homes and establish experiments in how to transmit them to those who can't let up on themselves.

Attention is the currency of the 21st century. Jane Genova helps you get it for products, services, points of view, causes, branding, careers after-50, and college admission.

October 24, 2018

There's that old adage: If you want to know who a person really is, observe who he or she associates with.

Yes, birds of feather hang out together.

The scientific term for that phenomenon is "mirror neurons." Human beings influence each other cell by cell.

That's exactly why mom and the nuns at Catholic grade school warned us about "bad companions."

So, it's no newsflash that many of us who dislike Megyn Kelly also dislike her former employer law firm Jones Day. They seem to have attributes in common.

I will leave the comprehensive listing of them for Jones Day to Joe Patrice at Abovethelaw.com. Here is just one of Patrice's myriad negative columns about what has been labeled as Donald Trump's go-to for legal counsel.

Kelly's tragic flaw seems to be being locked within herself and therefore not being able to connect.

That became immediately obvious in the talk show format on her NBC Sunday night disaster which, as Joe Pompeo reports in Vanity Fair, has been "euthanized."

When she was political firebrand on Fox that wasn't an issue. Tossing rhetorical grenades was the format. It was effective.

Not being able to connect is, of course, bad for building an audience. The ratings for her morning show haven't been too hot.

However, it can also incur professional suicide in her relations with those in the "Today" loop whom she needs to cooperate.

The pile on by members of the "Today" family in response to her blackface mistake provided evidence of the intensity of dislike.

Had they liked her, they could have provided support - and forgiveness. As Hedrick Smith hammered in his classic book "The Power Game," the ability to be liked is a key form of power. John F. Kennedy was a master of that.

Psychologists and executive coaches could spend hours with the media trying to explain how the Megyn Kelly types get that way and if there is hope for change.

But, my experience being a communications strategist and content provider for those players in high places indicates the prognosis isn't good.

Wealth and success (even if its peak has passed) frequently have hardened their personality contours. If they even admit imperfections, they likely will take the stance of William Shakespeare's King Lear. On the heath, where he has gone mad, Lear rants that he has been more sinned against than sinning.

The blackface stumble could provide NBC the opportunity to buy Kelly out of her contract. That will be, many of us will feel, good riddance.

Then we can devote our full attention to monitoring how Jones Day is faring in the court of public opinion. Often that has greater influence than the court of law.

If Trump keeps making serious mistakes or is accused of crimes the Jones Day brand could be badly tarnished.

Full Disclosure: I had gone to college with females who mirrored Kelly's attributes and I have done communications assignments for lawyers who seemed to share the Jones Day public persona. The suffering was profound. I still have flashbacks.

Attention is the currency of the 21st century. Jane Genova helps you get it for products, services, points of view, causes, branding, careers after-50, and college admission.

October 22, 2018

Those of us who tuned in last night cringed at the absolute lack of chemistry between him and his guest.

The second week for his talk show lost 800,000 viewers from last week's mediocre numbers. The plunge downward was from 2,971,000 to 2,193,000. Meanwhile last night "60 Minutes" had 14 million viewers.

The interview was with Kim Kardashian. In itself that was a poor choice for a get. She looked downright bizarre. The questions posed didn't shake loose any thing we would jump up and down about. And, the whole Kardashian Inc. has already peaked. Even though we might be equally weary of the British royals, one of them would have been a better get.

Last week's interview with Robert De Niro also lacked sizzle. The coveted 18-54 demographic isn't interested in the guy who played in "Raging Bull" and "Goodfellows." What engaging content has he created recently?

Clint Eastwood has a new film coming out around Christmas time - "The Mule." There he is, nearly 90, in all his intense wrinkle glory. Now, that would be an interview.

Those who respect Baldwin's talent should convince him to fight to pull the pull at this very bad fit.

Tell this blog about your worst fit and how it damaged your brand. Brand is everything. Send narrative and representative graphic to janegenova374@gmail.com

Full Disclosure: My worst fit was trying to be a stand-up comic in Manhattan. Not far behind that was putting together a "roast" for an executive at Merck. After all that, I was forced to figure out my real brand strength's. Joan Rivers I wasn't.

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Attention is the currency of the 21st century. Jane Genova helps you get it for products, services, points of view, causes, branding, careers after-50, and college admission.

October 14, 2018

Some may smirk when reading that Manhattan parents hire professionals to coach their children for nursery school entrance interviews.

But more simply know that hiring a coach is the smart thing to do for those wanting X or Y results.

The real estate agent coached me before I appeared before the coop board on the Upper East Side. I didn't smirk. I needed to be based there in New York City, at the time. I was admitted to the coop.

The challenge, though, in a totally coached era is creating the appearance of not having been coached.

That's a big nut to crack in the legal sector.

No jury or judge will look favorably on a plaintiff or defendant whose testimony comes across as totally scripted.

Sure, they expect caution and measured words. But they will usually penalize those who carry the stink of over-coaching.

So expected is coaching in trial work that it was a stunner in "Hulk Hogan v. Gawker" that Gawker editor in chief Albert J. Daulerio testified in a manner that no coached professional would have. A liberal New Yorker, he used a sarcastic tone in a conservative Florida courtroom. And his language and the content of his testimony were flip. The verdict against the defendant came in at about $140 million.

What constitutes "coaching" has become a broad category, of course.

In his statement before the U.S. Judiciary Committee, Brett Kavanaugh made it his business for everyone to know that he had written his own remarks. Yes, in a coached era, that's become a best practice. More and more of those Non-Disclosure forms we speechwriters/ghostwriters sign mandate we keep confidential that we are in the loop. The terms and conditions of those contracts have become highly specific.

It seems almost downright negligent that not so long ago coaching was not a universal procedure.

In my senior year in college I traveled from my dorm, uncoached, to meet in a major city with the committee overseeing the awarding of Woodrow Wilson fellowships for graduate school.

Probably what was to become my profession - positioning and packaging - automatically kicked in. I made it to the next round. None of my classmates did. But then I got knocked out of the box later. All my life I had wondered: Had my major professor at college coached me, would I have become forever more a Woodrow Wilson Scholar?

A pragmatist, I tell those I coach about preparing their job search materials and role-playing interview strategies to get a specialized coach, for instance, about what to wear, including accessories, in the actual interview. That is, if they are pursuing one of those $250+ slots in capitalism. The look weighs in as significantly as the language. That look must be just right.

Observation: Those who can't afford coaching likely can no longer play the game. The most useful pro-bono activity might have become to provide coaching for just about everything to those who can't penetrate the system or who have been knocked out of the box after imprisonment.

Attention is the currency of the 21st century. Jane Genova helps you get it for products, services, points of view, causes, branding, careers after-50, and college admission.

And, as top producing salespeople know, to "close" the deal you have to be in total control of the process. Only, the employer can't pick up that you are the one in control.

Here are the seven musts in orchestrating your job interview as a sales call:

Know everything about the prospect. That's because it's essential in the sales process to mirror. That is, the prospect will look at you, listen to you, and talk with you and see himself or herself.

But do that in a smooth manner. If you overdo it, as in keep using the prospect's exact language, you will come across as inept.

Step up to the plate on uncomfortable issues. You had been fired from your last job. That comes up in the interview. Thank the interviewer for bringing that up. Indicate you want to discuss the unique circumstances of that termination, what you have learned from them, and what you have done to prevent similar situations. Keep direct eye contact, but not too intensely.

Don't be passive. Find openings in the interviewer's format to introduce key selling points such as what you recently achieved for your current employer or client.

Ask questions, in a friendly manner. For instance, the interviewer states the company is introducing a new scanner. If you pose a specific question, that signals you know the niche and that you are enthusiastic.

Do a trial close. An example would be: What would it take for you to hire me? That reveals how the interviewer is perceiving what you are offering or not offering. You can now respond to all that, making your sales pitch more targeted.

Offer to go the extra mile. You might request permission to sketch out a brief social media marketing plan for the scanner. It's standard in sales to provide a freebie related to the product or service. That gives the prospect an opportunity to sample the goods. It also establishes good will.

Demand a response. The most successful salespeople are those who value their time. Indicate you know your worth by having the powers that be lock in a date for the next step or informing you of a "no sale."

Reverse engineer the entire process if there is no movement onto the next step. There is the old saying in sales that every "no" brings you closer to a "yes." That's because every sales call, even if there is no close, provides information and insight. Go over every aspect of how you presented yourself, ranging from the attire to managing uncomfortable issues.

In your search for work, you can get an edge by making it your business to obtain as many interviews as possible. That's how you will continue to make progress on the learning curve. As "What Color Is Your Parachute? 2018" hammers: It's not necessarily the most qualified who receives the job offer. It's the professional who is best at presenting himself or herself.

October 01, 2018

Ranging from "Without a Trace" to "Criminal Minds," we have watched enough (fictional) FBI agents interrogating suspects to know that they know what they are doing.

However, given all the madness associated with the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh for SCOTUS, we probably had our doubts that the current FBI investigation could extract some facts from the he said/she said. We also wondered if the one-week deadline could significantly limit what could possibly be found out.

Well, to the rescue comes James Comey, former director of the FBI.

In a highly conversational opinion piece in The New York Times he reassures us that both the FBI agents and the processes they use are up to the job. Even given the one-week deadline. Here is that opinion-editorial.

Essentially, what Comey says is that, yes, this assignment to the FBI is constituted to be deeply flawed.

However, the agents are trained to ask and keep asking the right questions. As information seeps or gushes out, then the agents can pass those bits and pieces onto their networks around the world to do further probing. Inevitably, the truth gets shaken loose.

The interrogation means that those being questioned cannot hide behind a lawyer's statement. There that person is, sitting across from two FBI agents.

No, the final report does not make conclusions. But it does provide enough factual material from which drawing conclusions should not be very difficult.

Therefore, in a week or so, a resolution to The Kavanaugh Matter indeed may be possible. As Comey notes, one side won't be pleased.

Attention is the currency of the 21st century. Jane Genova helps you get it for products, services, points of view, causes, branding, careers after-50, and college admission.

September 28, 2018

In about a week, the data from the FBI investigation of the allegations about Brett Kavanaugh's behavior toward several women will be turned over the U.S. Senate.

However, even if he comes up clean, there are many who wonder if he has the temperament to be a justice on the U.S. Supreme Court.

His presentation of himself yesterday to the Senate Judiciary Committee mirrored that of William Shakespeare's character King Lear. After a life of myopia, King Lear goes insane on the heath. He cries out that he has been sinned against than sinning.

The difference between King Lear and Kavanaugh is this: Kavanaugh did not even seem to recognize that he had also "sinned," that is, acted in ways in his youth that should trigger shame in the adult he had become.

Instead, Kavanaugh only ranted about how he had been sinned against.

In addition, he was extremely disrespectful to both the women and the men questioning him. Also, as is typical of too many lawyers, he reframed many of the questions, not answering them directly. Some of us recalled how lawyer Bill Clinton played around on national television with the word "is" in relation to the Monica Lewinsky scandal.

If Kavanaugh is confirmed as a justice for SCOTUS, the hearing stink will stick on him. That will permeate the whole entity.

Attention is the currency of the 21st century. Jane Genova helps you get it for products, services, points of view, causes, branding, careers after-50, and college admission.

September 27, 2018

A fundamental of game theory is never make a move in isolation. Media tycoon Rupert Murdoch studied game theory at Oxford. I picked it up in doctoral studies at the University of Michigan.

Instead of doing stand-alone planning, form every bit of the strategy based on what the competition is doing, could do, or has done.

That's exactly why there is a major advantage in not going first. And why you have to make it your business not to be stuck in the starting position.

We saw that played out today at the Brett Kavanaugh SCOTUS confirmation Senate Judiciary hearing. Christine Ford, who alleged sexual misconduct by Kavanaugh, was required to go first. The person who went second - Kavanaugh - then had the edge. And, even his most severe critics concede that he killed it.

Not going first applies in myriad contexts.

When scheduled to be one of several speakers, opt to be in the middle. The last speaker is faced with a weary audience.

In a group job interview - and there are more and more of them - position yourself not to be called on first or not to volunteer to go first. You will profit from the mistakes of those who present before you and you will figure out how to neutralize the strengths they provide.

If you are one of the five students law firms are interviewing on campus, try to find out who the others are and what they will tout. If you can't land that specific information then do your best analytical thinking about how they will likely present themselves and how you can top that.

Incidentally, this also applies to family dynamics. My sister Anne Murga-Ring was born nine years after I was and 13 years after the oldest sister.

It was from what we screwed up that she learned so much. She avoided those emotional traps and is thriving in a comfortable marriage and a job in the C-Suite.

On the other hand, I at least profited from observing the stumbles of the sister four years older than I. She died at age 60. Meanwhile, I already have lived longer than any other member of the family.

Attention is the currency of the 21st century. Jane Genova helps you get it for products, services, points of view, causes, branding, careers after-50, and college admission.